The agreements prompted major donor New Zealand to halt aid funding to close partner the Cook Islands, citing a “lack of consultation”.
Brown defended the Cook Islands’ right to engage with international partners such as China.
The Cook Islands caught New Zealand off guard when it signed a slew of agreements with China covering deep-sea mining, regional cooperation and economic issues.
“We deeply value the support New Zealand has provided over the years and continue to prioritise respectful, open, and forward-looking dialogue.”
It provided US$116 million (NZ$194 million) to the Cook Islands over the past three years, according to government figures.
A spokesman for New Zealand’s foreign minister pointed to a “lack of consultation” surrounding the “agreements signed by the Cook Islands and China” as a reason for the aid pause.
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